Elisabeth is a fifteen year-old girl who prefers to be called Daisy. Because of an emerging war her parents send her from New York to England. There she lives with her four cousins, three boys and a girl, and her aunt, all of whom she has never met before. They live on a beautiful country farm with dogs, chicken, goats and cows.

A whole new world for Daisy, who is used to the busy streets of New York. Because of her work, Daisy's aunt soon has to leave for Oslo, Norway, and the kids have to take care of themselves. The farm becomes a sort of paradise for the children. Only the eldest goes to school and the other three, together with their cousin, enjoy their independent life without any adults telling them what to do. During this time Daisy falls in love with her cousin Edmond. They have a very passionate relationship and share a strong common bond.

But this happy life doesn't last long. The world is in crisis. A new world war has started. Nobody knows who the enemy really is or what the motives are. There are terrorist attacks all over the planet, bombs explode in cities, water supplies are poisoned and the United Kingdom is being occupied by an unknown enemy. At first Daisy and her cousins are unconcerned about the war. It simply seems like a distant event without any major consequences for them.

But that soon changes, and they find themselves in the middle of it. Daisy's aunt is stranded in Oslo, as all the airports are closed, so the children are still left alone. Finally the army arrives at their doorstep and the children are sent away. Daisy and her youngest cousin, Piper, are sent West, whereas the others, including Daisy's lover, Edmond, are brought to a place in the East. The beautiful life alone on the farm is over and Daisy faces a whole new challenge trying to survive war and the resulting starvation, and finding Edmond again.

Meg Rosoff has written an impressive novel about war, survival and teenage love. The story is told from the point of view of Daisy, the smart and courageous protagonist. The way in which the story is told and the fact that not much is said about who the enemy is, or why this Third World War has started, really puts the focus on the victims of the conflict and the struggles they face because of it.

How I Live Now definitely has elements of an adventure story, but it deals more with the thoughts and feelings of its characters. It is a very engaging book and makes you think differently about what war and death do to the people who are surrounded by them.

The book has been adapted for the screen. The film was directed by Kevin Macdonald and stars Saoirse Ronan as Daisy. It was released on 18 October 2013.

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